I want to be in the Spotlight!

The LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund

Help for Librarians in Need

By Virginia B. Moore, Ma'lis Wendt, and Jim Kuhn

Librarians, as we know, are underpaid for the important role we hold in society. In addition, often we assume the responsibility of having to defend unpopular material and ideas against community pressures. Law enforcement occasionally adds to the tension by attempting to circumvent library policies and abrogate the privacy of library users. MORE

Empowering Library Support Staff for the 21st Century

ALA is proud to present the two-day Conference within a Conference, a separate, specially priced educational opportunity for library support staff! MORE

Urge Labor Department to Keep Collecting Data on Women Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a division of the Department of Labor, has announced that it will stop collecting employment data on women from the Current Employment Statistics survey, a monthly survey of 160,000–400,000 businesses. It will continue to collect employment data on women with the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of 60,000 households. The National Organization for Women (NOW) urges you to tell the BLS and your Members of Congress that this information is absolutely essential, and its elimination will ultimately lead to an increase in workplace inequality. MORE

I want to write about HR Law & Regulation!

Social Security and Pensions

A Primer

By Chris Martin

Social Security, pensions and other retirement plans are in the news. President Bush called for allowing workers under age 55 to convert a portion of their Social Security taxes into "voluntary personal retirement accounts" in his State of the Union address last week. MORE

I want to write about HR Practice!

Common Hiring Mistakes

Tips on How to Avoid Them

By Paula Singer and Jeri E. Hurley, PHR

Whether you’re filling a vacancy due to a long-planned retirement or urgently trying to fill a just-terminated position critical to your organization, hiring can by tricky. This article highlights some common mistakes and missteps in hiring, and how you can best avoid them. MORE

I want to write about Salaries & Pay Equity!

ALA Pay Equity Committee moving to ALA-APA

At the Midwinter ALA Conference, both ALA and ALA-APA Councils approved that the ALA Pay Equity Committee work with the ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers to transition the mission and members to ALA-APA by the 2006 ALA Annual Conference. MORE

I want to write about HR Support Staff!

From Fish! To PEEP

A Journey in Reward and Recognition

By Marcy Simons

As a Supervisor, the most challenging thing to do is motivate staff, especially when your staff are at the bottom of the food chain! In September of 2002, I realized that the morale of my staff in the Stacks Management department of Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame was reaching an all-time low. Absenteeism was a problem, the staff felt like no one else in the library respected what they do, and we were one year away from making a very large move into a newly renovated Lower Level with movable shelving, and I would need everyone on board to accomplish this monumental task. MORE

The March issue of American Libraries will highlight support staff.

I want to write about Work/Life!

Improved Health While You Work

By Casey Schacher

Today’s professional must survive in a fast-paced demanding world that allows little time for concentration on health and fitness. This can be seen in the disturbing estimate that 134.8 million American adults are over-weight or obese. Other issues, such as back problems, also arise from the physically sedentary lifestyle of many of our country’s professionals. Work, especially in an office environment, often requires people to spend hours behind a desk, performing mentally demanding but physically inactive tasks. Additionally, poor eating habits and stress can be compounded in the office environment. Yet these stagnant hours can also be gold mines of opportunity to develop improved physical health. With a few simple changes to their daily routines, professionals can utilize time spent at work to enhance their overall health! MORE

Alaska Library Association, Barrow
Mar. 10–13

Indiana Library Federation, Indianapolis
Mar. 22–24

Kansas Library Association, Overland Park
Mar. 30–Apr. 1

New Mexico Library Association, Albuquerque
Mar. 30–Apr. 1

Oklahoma Library Association, Norman
Mar. 30–Apr. 1

It’s time to start thinking about National Library Workers Day on April 12th. How will you celebrate?